School admissions in comparative perspective:a focus on China, Chile, Sweden and Germany

This working paper focuses on legislative provision and policy regarding (lower) secondary school admissions in four countries: Chile, China, Germany and Sweden. It seeks to compare first, how legislative provision (and policy) varies between countries, and the role played by national and subnational levels of government; second, how admissions arrangements to lower secondary schools vary between jurisdictions, and the role parents have in the process; and third, which groups of pupils, if any, are prioritised in the admissions process. We present an overview of the policy context and legislative provision in each country before addressing the intricacies of the admissions arrangements. Our comparative analysis reveals that in three of the four case study countries legislative provision seeks to minimise selective practices, with a view to maximising equality of opportunity as regards school access. However, there are tensions in each country. Thus, in Chile families with sufficient resources are able to attend subsidised schools which require co-payment (the most disadvantaged families are exempt). In China, there are tensions as children without hukou status may not have access to the well-respected public schools. In Sweden, there is the potential for selectivity as parents who do not wish their child to attend the municipal school need to actively make a choice for an alternative school. Possible barriers include the queuing system used by independent schools which can limit options for parents who are not in a position to register for a place in a timely manner. In Germany, early academic selection is the norm, with admission to a selective grammar school (Gymnasium) being a function of the primary school’s recommendation and the extent to which it is binding on parents.